Yemen’s Houthi rebels release crew of commercial vessel seized in Red Sea in November 2023
Yemen’s Houthi rebels released the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader ship on Wednesday, ending their 14 months in captivity following the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal.?
The Iran-backed terror group released the celebrating sailors in Muscat, the capital of Oman, just one hour after meeting with the nation’s mediators who advised that the hostages be released.?
The 25 crew members — who include?mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Mexico?— were seen smiling and giving thumbs-up poses in photos as they were delivered to safety.?
“This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza,” the Houthis said in a statement on the rebel-controlled SABA news agency.
Filipino?President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the release of 17 nationals, describing his “utmost joy” as they arrived at the Philippine Embassy in Muscat.?
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed the release of two of their nationals, who have been identified as the ship’s captain, Lyubomir Chanev, and assistant captain, Danail Veselinov.?
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations’ special envoy to Yemen, said the release of the crew members served as “heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year.”
Grundberg also urged the rebel group to end their maritime assaults that have plagued the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for months.?
The terrorist group began attacking commercial and military ships in the region in November 2023 in response to Israel’s military incursion into the Gaza Strip.?
During one of their first attacks, the Houthis said they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel.?
The Bahamas-flagged vessel is affiliated with Abraham “Rami” Ungar, an Israeli billionaire known as one of the richest people in the Jewish state.
Harrowing video released by the rebels showed the rebels mount a helicopter-borne raid on the ship, with the footage serving as propaganda footage for the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the Galaxy Leader.
Although the Houthis claimed that they would only target ships affiliated with Israel, they mounted more than 100 attacks on foreign commercial ships, cutting traffic in the key global transportation route by half.?
The disruption caused the US, UK, and European-Coalition to send destroyers to the region to intercept the Houthi attacks and launch pre-emptive strikes against the terror group’s rocket launching facilities.??
Following the start of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, the Houthis announced that they would limit their attacks in the Red Sea to only Israeli-affiliated ships, but warned that wider assaults could resume if needed.?
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert for the Basha Report risk advisory firm, suggested the Houthis’ move to try and de-escalate the conflict in the Red Sea may be a direct response to President Trump’s return to the White House.??
“This gesture by the Houthis may be intended as a goodwill measure towards the new Trump administration,” Basha told the Associated Press.?
As he returned to office on Monday,??Trump signed an order urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reinstate a foreign terrorist organization designation on the Houthis.
“Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea,” the White House said in a statement.????
With Post wires
